


River's First Encounter

by tatennant



Series: HelloEarthGirl [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Gen, HelloEarthGirl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-17
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-21 04:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4815611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatennant/pseuds/tatennant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When River is curious about meeting one of the Doctor's former companions, he ends up showing her, and River takes matters into her own hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	River's First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> hmm... this piece will probably end up being in a series. just to inform you all, another one of my main ships is helloearthgirl, and i will occasionally write fanfiction for river and donna as well.

"Doctor?" River's voice echoed from partway down the endless corridor of the TARDIS.

"Yes, darling?" The Timelord chimed as he pushed himself out of the small crevasse of the machine he had been crammed into, trying to fix the wiring to the light on top of the TARDIS that didn't seem to be flashing anymore. He heard the click of the heels on his wife's boots as she entered the console room, and she stood up with a flourish, jumping down the small set of steps that lead to the main area.

River leaned against one of the rails, stroking one of them lightly as the TARDIS purred in a happy tone. She had always had an exceptional relationship with the blue box, one almost surpassing the Doctor's. She glanced up at him, with her wide crystal blue eyes, full of wonder and curiosity.

"Tell me about your former companions... Sorry, no," she corrected herself, shaking her head of curly blonde hair. "Tell me about Donna Noble." River had developed an interest in this one, the one companion that looked for nothing more from the Doctor than simple companionship. She didn't know why she was so curious, but Donna just fascinated her.

The Doctor's facial expression had changed from his usual child-like state of excitement. It wasn't sadness now, no, it was more...pain? Devastation? No, neither of those. As she walked towards him it became quite clearly a form of grief. Regret. It looked as though all of the joy from his face had vanished. He was left with nothing else but the emotions he felt towards all of his companions, in the end. Over all that pain was love, the pure kind of love that a parent felt for a child. That was the look he had on. The look of a parent who had lost so, so many children.

"No," he uttered, his voice almost inaudible. He turned, leaning on the console with both hands. "I... There was nothing I could do for her... I don't want to talk about her, not now, love," he said, and the pleading look on his face made River's heart break in two.

She moved behind him, placing a loving hand on his shoulder, her voice dropping to a whisper as she parted her lips, very close to his ear.  
"Then show me."

Just minutes later, the blonde was pulling open the creaky door of that marvelous blue box, stepping outside into the fresh air of what seemed to be a local park. They had landed in Chiswick, just outside the centre of the city. The Doctor had insisted he stay inside the TARDIS. Even with his new look, his new personality, he couldn't risk anything. He'd said it was for her own good, for Donna's, but something had told River that it was for him as well.  
No, it was almost painfully obvious it was for him, too.

She walked across the small grassy patch they had parked on, observing her surroundings, taking in the sight of children climbing and running around on a playground, couples on benches eating lunch throughout the park, an elderly man feeding birds on the sidewalk. River turned towards the playground, that's where she wanted to go.  
The Doctor had given her specific directions: no physically interfering with Donna, no talking to Donna, keep a fair distance away from Donna, no making eye contact with Donna, etcetera, etcetera. She was allowed to glance. That was it. Have a quick visit, and then leave straight away. Anything could trigger her memory. (According to the Doctor they had met before?)

Apparently the Doctor didn't know his own wife. She intended on breaking all of the rules. It's what she did, wasn't it?

The blonde leisurely made her way to a bench that happened to have a very particular ginger on it. The ginger had her bright blue eyes focused on a small (equally ginger) little girl. She was smiling, and she seemed so lighthearted, but River could see something under that happiness. She looked...lost, like she knew something was missing from her life when it was obvious she had all she ever wanted.

"Is that one yours?" River asked, nodding towards the little girl running around the swing set, probably playing tag.

"Yeah, a ball of energy, she is," the lady who she assumed to be Donna Noble smiled so lovingly as she gazed at the park. "Do you have one of your own?"

River shook her head, smiling at the scene in front of her, then glancing at the woman beside her. "No, I don't think I could afford it, you know, always on the run." The blonde had always wanted children, really, but it wasn't right. She couldn't risk it. Living a life of time travel was already difficult enough, subjecting a child to it as well would be unbearable. River was agonizingly aware of what her own mother and father had went through, and what she had gone through because of it.

The ginger then held out a hand, snapping River back into reality.  
"Donna Noble, pleasure to meet you."

The blonde took Donna's hand in hers, shaking it gently, "Riv- Melody Pond, nice to meet you, too," she sighed, giving Donna a bright smile. She couldn't take the chance of being the one that caused Donna to remember. "So, where's your little one's daddy?" The Doctor had told her that Donna had gotten married when he left - supposedly to a man named Sean.

"Oh, Lee and I aren't together anymore," she lamented, giving River a sad smile. She really had no idea why she was being so open to this woman. Melody, Donna remembered, that was her name. It just seemed like she was...trustworthy.  
"You know how it goes- girl meets boy, girl falls in love, they get married, have a family, boy gets tired of girl and leaves..."

Though her words were so strained, she kept that sad smile on like it was permanently plastered on her face. So there was another man? River blushed and opened her mouth to say something, possibly sympathize with her, but just then the little girl ran up on her two short legs, grinning up at Donna like she hadn't seen her in ages.

"Mummy! Mummy! Look what I found!" She squealed as she held up a rock that looked very much like a heart, placing it on her mother's lap. Her chocolate brown gaze quickly turned from her mum and to River, who smiled brightly at the child. The little girl placed her hands on her hips, "Are you one of Mummy's friends?" The child asked in a sassy tone, clearly showing her disapproval at the thought of Donna's friends.

"Hello, sweetie," River laughed, holding her hand out for the little girl to shake. "My name is Melody, and no, I've only just met your mum. She's a very nice lady, you know."

"I know," the little ginger said, shaking River's hand politely. "My name is Agatha Noble. It used to be Agatha McAvoy, but then Daddy said he had to leave for a long time."

"Oh, really? Well, I bet your mummy takes very good care of you anyways," the blonde crouched down next to the girl, who looked to be five or six years old, and glanced up at Donna, who nodded her 'okay'. She picked the rock that was shaped like a heart off of Donna's leg, smiling at the child.

"I'm an archaeologist. Do you know what that is, Agatha?" The little girl shook her head, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Well, that means I look at rocks and artifacts all the time. It's part of my job," she continued, tracing her finger along the smooth edge of the rock that was in her hand. "You know, rocks can take you back in time. It looks like this rock is very special. Where did you find it?"

The child pointed to the area of the playground where she had found it. "I was going to give it to Mummy, but I like you very much," she admitted, turning to Donna, who had been listening to them the whole time. "Mummy, I want to give the rock to Melody. Can she have it?"

The older ginger laughed, picking up her little girl and placing her on her lap, "Yes, of course Melody can have it. I think she's worthy," Donna grinned at her daughter, and then at River.

"I want to go play with James now," Agatha decided simply, like children always did, "Bye Mummy, bye Melody!" Donna managed to give the little girl a kiss on the cheek before she squirmed off her lap and ran back over to the swing set.

"She likes you, that's a first," Donna chuckled, turning her attention back to River.

"Yeah, same here," the blonde smiled, standing back up from the crouching position she was in.  
"Hey, would you mind looking after her sometime? I mean, you don't have to if it would be a burden, but you're the first one I've seen that's been able to get along with her..."

River shook her head of curls, smiling at Donna sadly. "Sorry, love, but I'm only here for another day. Like I said, traveling," she sighed, "Speaking of, I think I have to get back to the hotel. My husband is waiting for me, I just thought I'd take a walk and stretch my legs."

"Oh! Well that's okay," the ginger said hurriedly, standing up and holding out her hand once more. "Sorry to waste your time. It was nice meeting you, Melody."

River took Donna's hand in both of hers, gazing into the ginger's blue eyes, suddenly serious. How could Donna ever think this was a waste of River's time? She was the one who chose to sit down, and it was more than a pleasure meeting her daughter.  
"Donna Noble, you are never a waste of time, and don't you ever let anyone tell you that you are. You certainly didn't waste mine," she promised, before taking a step back. "You have a beautiful daughter, by the way."

And with that, she left, walking back to the TARDIS with the small rock in hand. She would never forget Donna Noble, and she would make sure the Doctor wouldn't either.


End file.
